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Friday, April 04, 2008

Dwindling donations, rising costs hurt food banks - mlive.com: "We are turning away approximately 10 to 15 families per day,' the Rev. Chico Daniels, president of Mel Trotter, said at a Thursday press conference at the Grand Rapids Police Department. The ministry launched an impromptu food drive to restock shelves for food donations.

'It's scaring me,' said Linda Quist, associate director of Senior Meals. 'What do you do? Do you keep cutting? Then, are you even fulfilling your mission?'

Her fears are understandable.

A steady loss in manufacturing jobs in recent years has put one in eight Michigan residents on food stamps, double the caseload in 2000 and a record high. In Kent County, it jumped from 25,770 recipients in 2000 to nearly 70,000 in February."

Students use consulting skills for a good cause - News: "Penn International Business Volunteers is one of Penn's few undergraduate organizations that combines economic consulting with philanthropy. The group promotes international development by creating business solutions for new non-governmental organizations"

JewishJournal.com: "And the philanthropic world is becoming increasingly fearful about what seems to be a perfect storm brewing against the financial world.

While most philanthropy professionals feel some anxiety now, they are bracing for what could be a calamity in the world of charitable giving.

At its worst, they say, the stock and real estate markets could continue to slide and large foundations could be forced to cut their allocations significantly, smaller donations from the middle class could dry up and what has been a renaissance in Jewish programming over the past several years could come to a screeching halt. Also, the dollar's decline could continue to stretch the budgets of Israeli nonprofits.

At its best, the economy could stabilize and there could simply be a short-term slowing of philanthropic dollars -- a slowing that already has started."

JewishJournal.com: "Ramah's solar energy installation was made possible by a donor who wanted to make an environmental and educational impact, as well as generate good financial return for camp. Ramah alumnus and parent David Braun donated $500,000 toward the project. Here's how he views his gift:

'The donation is a gift that keeps on giving as savings continue to be generated for decades, greatly increasing the ultimate size of the donation,' Braun said. 'By lowering Ramah's long-term overhead it will effectively increase the monies available for other functions of camp.'"

The story behind the Dalai Lama's visit to Seattle: "nspired by the address, Kranzler met with the Dalai Lama's emissary, Lama Tenzin Dhonden, and began sharing his vision for putting compassion into action, starting with children and those who influence them.

Now, 2 1/2 years later, the ambitious dream has sprouted into a five-day event starting April 11 that seeks to touch everyone -- not only youths and educators, but philanthropists, politicians, businesspeople and clergy of different faiths -- with the message that kindness and compassion form the critical bedrock for a better"

On Wednesday, Doug announced the creation of the Care to Learn Fund, a program designed to meet the immediate health, hunger, and hygiene needs of students enrolled in Springfield Public Schools, where both Brad and Doug spent their early years."

A would-be owner must submit an application to the National Park Service detailing a plan to repair and use the building in accord with historic preservation laws. If the park service can’t find a suitable government or nonprofit candidate, the lighthouse goes up for auction."

A.C.L.U. and State Branch Spar - New York Times: "Facing the threat of a takeover by the national organization, the South Carolina affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union is embroiled in a fight over access to tapes of a board committee meeting.

The A.C.L.U. has accused the affiliate of mismanagement and not spending enough money on efforts to defend civil liberties. But affiliate leaders contend their group is being punished for raising questions about the direction and leadership of the national organization."

An Unlikely Obsession: School Auctions - New York Times: "Ms. Furner and her younger sister, Robin Kirchner, have crisscrossed northern New Jersey patronizing auctions for schools, churches, animal shelters and civic clubs with the single-mindedness others have for golfing, bowling or shopping. They hit three to four a month"

It is a wonderful compliment to Scotland that millions of Americans who are not of direct Scottish descent nonetheless claim an affinity with our nation. They are very welcome.

And I believe that it is the enduring and positive relationship between our countries - and the nature of the Scottish contribution to America, in business, in government, in philanthropy, in culture - that explains this Scottish resonance."

A haven in a high-rent world - The Boston Globe: "The recently renovated space on South Street is part of a building called the Nonprofit Center, which exclusively houses 'progressive social change' organizations that work to correct societal problems.

It is one of about 150 such centers nationwide: multitenant, incubator-like spaces operated primarily for nonprofits, which benefit from affordable rents, secure leases, a collaborative environment, and increased visibility. Many of the centers are in modern buildings in prime downtown areas, and some offer shared equipment, such as photocopiers and printers, as well as programs like yoga and lunchtime seminars."

Money roll - News: "Zeta Beta Tau fraternity and Phi Mu sorority are raising money simply by rolling a ball around. The huge multi-colored ball grabs the attention of those around it, and it's hard to imagine anyone being unable to help the cause once the dirty, orb-shaped rainbow rolls their way.

On Monday, the fraternity and sorority held the kickoff for Get on the Ball, a project in which the two groups will roll a ball six feet in diameter across campus asking everyone they meet to place their signature on it."

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Keys to successfully negotiating with donors to win large gifts can be found in research from other fields, according to Shaun G. Lynch, a fund-raising consultant from St. Lazare, Canada, who spoke Tuesday at the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ annual conference in San Diego."

British cop's 54,000km charity push | PerthNow: "A FORMER British policeman is wheeling across the South West of WA to raise money for the Canteen charity for young people living with cancer.Swasie Turner's 27-year police career was cut short when he lost his right leg after being deliberately run down by a motorcycle rider."

Relay for Life plans another successful walk: "Work began for the 2008 Pendleton Relay for Life almost as soon as the 2007 event ended. Cancer survivors Joshua Johnston, retired Umatilla County Commissioner Emile Holeman and others will lead the June 13-14 walk"

Wealthy philanthropists are increasingly choosing to give their charitable donations anonymously, in part to protect their privacy but also to avoid rifts among family members expecting an inheritance, reports the Los Angeles Times."

Monday, March 31, 2008

They say that two things in life are certain - death and taxes - and planned giving deals with both. At first glance, the idea of marketing planned giving programs might appear to require a certain degree of delicacy. After all, isn’t it about asking people to think about their own death? While it may appear that way at first, planned giving professionals explain it differently."

Meanwhile, government support of the arts is diminishing at state and national levels. But locally, giving by individuals and corporations is holding steady or has even increased as some donors and supporters say giving to the arts helps ensure a high quality of life in central Virginia."

In 2006, charitable contributions to colleges in the U.S. reached $28 billion, more than half of which came directly from alumni and other individuals, according to a recent Council for Aid to Education report.

Although major gifts, like Nike founder Philip Knight's $105 million pledge in 2006 to Stanford's business school, receive a lot of exposure and press coverage, the combined value of smaller gifts from an army of contributors funds a far greater portion of higher education."

The departures include Peter B. Lane, who spearheaded the Mann Center's expansion (and left for the Bethel Woods arts center in New York), and Janice C. Price, the Kimmel Center's first professional arts-management leader (for an arts festival in Canada)."

As traditional fund-raising methods falter, charities look for new ways to appeal to online donors

By Holly Hall

This week the Nature Conservancy will kick off a campaign to ask online donors to give $1 apiece to help the charity plant a billion trees in Brazil's rain forest. But conservancy officials have no idea if the electronic drive will meet its goal of raising $1-million."

By announcing its cuts early, the county has sent nonprofits a clear signal that they need to pursue new avenues of support  private foundations, state and national grants, etc. It won't be easy, but this is a community-wide challenge, and everyone is going to sacrifice in one way or anothe"

This year's Jewish Funders Network conference, which will be closed to the media at the request of the local participants, is the first to be held in Israel. The event will take place at the David Citadel Hotel and last until Thursday."

The 2007-08 drive, which ends today, has relied on 15,500 individual donors and 1,300 organizations to raise $20.4 million since the drive began in November, United Way Chief Operating Officer Al Sassone said."